A group of more than 40 Republican lawmakers have sponsored a bill to allow individual taxpayers and businesses to receive state income tax credits when they donate to anti-abortion clinics, also known as pregnancy resource centers or crisis pregnancy centers, in the state.

HB208, introduced by Rep. Jamie Kiel, would allow the Department of Revenue to distribute up to $10 million dollars each calendar year to taxpayers donating to an Alabama 501(c)(3) that meets certain criteria.

Pregnancy resource centers are often religiously affiliated and typically counsel against abortion. They often offer support and free, but limited, services for pregnant women and new parents. Some offer ultrasound services, but most do not offer a full range of medical or family planning services.

Nationally, anti-abortion centers have been accused of providing misleading information about abortion and contraception — for example, suggesting that abortion leads to mental health problems or breast cancer, according to The Associated Press.

What would Alabama’s bill do?

According to the bill, an nonprofit eligible for donations must regularly answer a dedicated phone number, have a physical office in Alabama and operate at least 20 hours a week.

Nonprofits must offer services, “at no cost to the client, for the express purpose of providing assistance to women in order to carry their pregnancy to term, encourage parenting or adoption, prevent abortion, and promote healthy childbirth.” If an organization offers medical procedures, it must use trained and licensed medical professionals.

Some anti-abortion clinics are medically licensed, while others are not. Unlicensed clinics are not bound by HIPAA, meaning they are not required to keep a client’s information confidential.

Care Net, an organization that encourages parents considering abortion to “choose life for their unborn children and find abundant life in Christ,” has 50 locations in the state of Alabama and more than 1,200 nationwide. According to their website, the group offers “limited obstetrical ultrasound services” in addition to counseling about pregnancy “options,” pregnancy tests and STD/STI testing — though obstetrical services and STD/STI can only be legally performed at a licensed medical center.

Their website includes a section for churches, with the tagline: “The courts can make abortion illegal, but only God through His church can make abortion unthinkable.”

Using the definitions outlined in the bill, Care Net locations across Alabama would likely be eligible for any taxpayer who wants to receive the tax credit.

The organization that received the donation must provide written certification that they meet the criteria to the Department of Revenue. Taxpayers will fill out a form with the Department of Revenue, and within 30 days of the receipt of the form, the department will “allocate credits based on the dollar amount of contributions as certified in the application.”

The bill was referred to the House Ways and Means Education Committee.